Key facts
- UK's 5G mobile network upgrades are lagging behind rival nations, potentially hindering its AI competitiveness.
- Mobile coverage in the UK ranks 57th globally for network performance, according to a Which? report.
- Industry executives express embarrassment over the current quality of UK mobile networks.
- Planning permission delays are significantly slowing down essential 5G infrastructure upgrades.
- Mobile operators are investing heavily in 5G standalone technology but face regulatory hurdles.
Senior industry executives have warned that the United Kingdom risks falling behind in the global artificial intelligence race due to lagging telecommunications infrastructure upgrades. While the UK has improved its broadband speeds, its 5G mobile networks are not advancing at the same pace as those in competitor nations.
According to a report by the consumer group Which?, based on data from Opensignal, the UK ranks poorly globally in network performance, download speeds, and reliable quality. This situation is concerning as AI adoption is expected to generate an immense volume of traffic that current networks may struggle to handle.
Andrea Donà, networks director at VodafoneThree, expressed embarrassment over the current quality of UK networks, stating that they are already sub-optimal for existing services and would be further strained by mass AI usage. He likened the potential AI-traffic crunch to the signal loss experienced by consumers at large public events.
Mobile operators are investing heavily in 5G standalone technology, with VodafoneThree committing £11 billion to upgrades. However, they report that restrictive planning rules and bureaucratic processes are significantly delaying even simple upgrades on existing sites, with over half of VodafoneThree's necessary upgrades requiring planning permission. Operators argue that their networks, classified as critical national infrastructure, should receive similar government reliefs in areas like business rates and energy, as offered to datacentres and energy systems.